How dare I offer a good deal?

I had a real trip to the land of wierdness today.

It was about 5 AM.  I'm servicing the vending machines.  I hear a woman talking angrily, saying the world "Wrong".  I turn and look; she's pointing angrily at the contents of the vending machine. 

I walk over "Is there a problem?"  

Boy, was there.  She was quite upset, that I dared to offer cookies for 40 cents.  Especially since the cookies had Spanish on the labels.  How dare the vendor show such favoritism, by offering cheaper cookies to the Spanish customers!  It was WRONG, THAT'S WHAT! 

I said, "I service the machines.  Let me get this straight, you want me to take these out of the vending machine because they are a good deal, and happen to have Spanish on the label?"  She started backpedaling, said I didn't HAVE to take them out, but the fact that they were cheaper, and had Spanish on the labels, was just "wrong".  I told her, "It sounds rather racist, what you are saying.  Are you saying I am a racist?"  No.  I asked her if I looked Hispanic.  No.  But it was wrong.  I heard that word a lot, "Wrong". 

She very angrily asked me why I was selling them for 40 cents; I told her, I got a good deal; and I pass my savings on to the customer.  Are you angry about that?  She was, actually.  The eavesdroppers started looking mildly alarmed. 

I told her (and the eavesdroppers), You know, if - IF, I took these cookies out, it would have the same old cookies as any other machine, AND they'd be 20 cents more expensive?  Does anyone want that?  I looked around.  No one seemed to like the idea.  I looked at her, Do you want that?  I can tell people I took the cookies out, because you objected, and that's why they have to pay more money. 

No, no, she didn't want that.  I just had to be aware it was WRONG.  She wandered off, still angry. 

So, I told Ron.  He wanted to know where she was, so he could tell her off.  [head in hands]  Somehow, I couldn't find her. 

We had our quarterly review.  Our supervisor came out; I told him in case she files a formal complaint.  "The {federal building] is selling cookies with Spanish on the wrapper!  And offering a good deal!"  I don't care about your racial makeup, these are really good cookies.  I'd pay 80 cents for them.  He was like, what?  I won't repeat the rest, but he told me to keep them. 

I found it very telling, the woman kept saying "We, I, all of us..." I have read that when someone had a major emphasis on a PLURAL pronoun, it is really a singular pronoun.  "Us" really means "I".   Well, it's true, you can't make everyone happy. 

Just for fun, I think I will program one of the machines to speak Spanish on the display, Wednesday.  It is very easy. I wonder if anyone will notice?   

I hope she doesn't find out about the crackers!  I only sell them for a quarter! 

At any rate, everyone said I handled it well.  I'm glad she pointed them out, I need 3 more cases.  She tried to tell me "No one buys them anyway" and I told her they are one of my best-sellers.  She didn't like that. 

I don't think she liked much, today.  I will use this as a reminder to take my pills.